


Alert.

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, for shits and giggles mostly, rambling things, some minor steve rogers/tony stark too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-12
Updated: 2012-08-12
Packaged: 2017-11-12 00:18:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/484523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce is still in Tony's bed, and Pepper has a way of getting to Tony like absolutely no one else in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alert.

Tony likes Bruce asleep. His curls are damp still from the shower and the smell of coconut shampoo wafts off of him in waves. Tony loves breathing it in. He turns over into his arms and Bruce kind of grunts in his sleep and his nose twitches, making Tony laugh softly. The soft blue light of the arc reactor shines under his jaw and lights his face up like Bruce is in a terrible low-budget horror film. The thought of Bruce being cast as some kind of monster strikes Tony as funny before he realizes that’s exactly what he’s normally cast as, and his face falls.

They didn’t even bother to grab the sheets. Both of them are bare-ass naked on top of the mattress. The tower, for all its perks, lost air conditioning on this level after the fight, and isn’t immune to the heat of the summer afternoon broiling outside their window. Bruce had fallen asleep immediately (Tony assumed Calcutta and Brazil were both much hotter) but Tony was left lying awake and staring at the ceiling. He doesn’t like being completely alone. Other people help drown out his thoughts. The drunken sex tizzy had worn off long ago and basking in the afterglow had never really been his thing.

God, Bruce though. Bruce is grinning in his sleep, the fucker. Tony wants to sap that lazy smugness right out of him. He is honestly gorgeous, or maybe gorgeously honest; all covered in hair, a definite lack of muscle tone for someone who turns into an 8-foot-tall giant. But that’s misleading. He knows from very recent experience Bruce can hold him up by his legs with not even a wall levering him. Tony absently licks his lips and kisses Bruce’s chest gently, genuinely trying not to wake him up.

The elevator doors close somewhere down the hall. Shit, that’s close. Tony doesn’t have time to throw on pants or anything before that familiar clack of heels reaches right outside his bedroom door. Pepper takes one look in before she balks and steps right back out. Shit. Shit shit shit that’s never a good sign Pepper never balks like that. He throws on the closest pants he finds (which happen to be Bruce’s) and he follows her out into the hall.

“Pepper!” he hisses in a whisper, still not wanting to wake Bruce, as he stumbles in half-pulled up pants behind her. “Wait, please! Pepperrrrr…” She stops and turns on her heels so quickly he almost topples her over.

She’s doing the finger-tapping-on-her-arm thing. “The deal was that you would tell me beforehand, Tony. “ Oh, she’s mad. If there’s anyone in the world that can make him feel emasculated and like he’s a three-year-old that knocked over an expensive vase at the same time, it’s Pepper. He tries to kiss her cheek and she turns her head.

“I told you I was interested! I told you all about Bruce and said he was going to stay here and that we were gonna talk shop together—“

“Yeah, but nothing about sleeping together—“

“But I said he was going to _live here_ , I thought that was implied, and for the record I wasn’t sure if he’d be interested with his big green problems—“

“Still should have called.”

“But I didn’t know. We were just talking and we had a few drinks—“

“A text would suffice, Tony.”

Tony knows she’s right. He hates knowing that. “Yeah.” He chews on his lip and looks back towards the bedroom, and her eyes follow his.

“It’s alright,” she says, and he can’t believe his ears. He wants to ask why it’s alright but he just nods, not wanting her to change her mind. Her arms uncross, and when he kisses her cheek she doesn’t pull away. “If he’s staying here we should all eat breakfast together.” Hospitable and business-like, and Tony’s just glad she’s not mad anymore, maybe for his own self-preservation.

“He’s brilliant, you know.” His arm is snaking around Pepper’s waist as he leads her to get some champagne. “He’d never tell you that, though.”

“Sounds better than you already.”

Tony snorts a laugh and squeezes her hip, which makes her jump a little. “I wouldn’t go that far.” His lips touch her hair. “Did you know that I basically go crazy every time you’re away for more than a day, sexy science man or not?”

“If you’re trying to have sex with me, I’m exhausted and have a headache.”

Tony puts his hand on his chest and is generally absolutely appalled. “I wasn’t trying to! I need you here, Pepper.” He stops walking and holds her shoulder to make sure she’s looking at him. “Seriously.” He kisses her lips and she kisses back, and it’s the most calm she’s been since she walked in the door.

“He doesn’t think you’re going to break up with me for him, does he? I think I’d feel bad for him.”

“No. He gets it. Figured it all out on his own, really.” Tony bites his lip because he knows he shouldn’t say the next thing but he really can’t help himself. “He’s not Rogers.”

Pepper glares at him, but she looks a bit too amused for him to take her seriously. “Captain America. Are you telling me you slept with Captain America?”

Tony grins and shrugs, eyes scanning her face and calculating. Always calculating. “Maybe. Just the once though. On the helicarrier.” Just before he met Bruce, actually.

“He’s been unfrozen for what, a month? I didn’t even know he was gay.”

“Well, I didn’t either.” Tony pulls out the champagne and a couple of glasses, pouring Pepper one and handing it to her. He gulps the whole flute down. “I didn’t call him back.”

Pepper laughs and shakes her head, taking her small sip. Champagne always makes Tony think of her; bubbly and golden and sweet. It’s also her favorite drink. “Color me surprised.” Tony sets his jaw and sits back in his chair. Her hand rests on his thigh and she rubs his slacks as she finishes her glass.  “I’m going to bed.”

“Noooo, nonono please no. I want to talk to you.”

“I’m exhausted, okay? And besides, we’re all having breakfast together, remember?”

He nods, and he doesn’t know where to go from here. “So do you want me to come to bed with you?”

She shrugs. “I think you should let Bruce have you. Don’t want him of all people waking up on the wrong side of the bed.” She smiles and he smiles, rubbing her cheek affectionately and giving her a kiss goodnight.

He goes back to Bruce, who has now spread himself over most of the bed. He doesn’t even know how that’s possible; it’s a king-sized bed. He pushes Bruce on the leg and he grunts and rolls over on his back. Tony just rolls his eyes and settles back on top of him, even though it’s too hot and too sweaty. He kicks the pants back off and Bruce’s arms wrap around him while he’s moving. He wonders how long it’s been since Banner has slept next to someone, and then how long it’s been for Pepper. She’s always much better about waiting, but of course she has the right to sleep with others. God, he’s never going to get to sleep, is he?


End file.
